NHL teams might gain the ability to transition young prospects to professional hockey sooner.
According to insider Frank Seravalli, the new collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and the NHL Players` Association (NHLPA), which was ratified on Tuesday, contains a provision that allows each NHL team to assign one 19-year-old player from the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) to the American Hockey League (AHL) per season.
Seravalli further reports that this rule does not apply to 18-year-old players and is set to take effect starting with the 2026-27 season, coinciding with the commencement of the new CBA.
This particular provision is one of several reported changes included in the new agreement. Other rumored amendments include increasing the length of the regular season to 84 games.
Additional expected changes in the new deal are a reduction in the maximum contract term by one year and the implementation of a salary cap specifically for the playoff rounds.